by Philo Hagen
Recently while perusing the latest updates in my Facebook news feed one morning, a post from a relatively new hooper scrolled up, one who has asked to remain anonymous. Her status update shared with her friends that she was now a full-fledged “hooping addict”, a statement that put a little smile on my face because I certainly know the feeling. It’s a great one. When I went to leave a comment to congratulate her, however, a couple of her friends were busy sharing their concerns for her mental and spiritual health and well being. One stated, and I quote, “God destroys idols. He is the great iconoclast. Even good things can become idols, and while reveling and boasting seem good at the time, it is a grave disservice to idolize anything or anybody. The result is God’s wrath, on you and the idol. God will not be eclipsed.”
I almost spewed the cereal I was eating all over my laptop. When I privately asked her if she was okay with what was happening, she said that she mostly was, but that it was challenging and difficult. The word “addict” is a term that gets tossed around in our community from time to time. The Hoopaholics in Australia aren’t seriously addicted, it’s another expression of joy and love. As for my new hoop friend, neither of us believed she was going to hold up a highway convenience store at gun point for some polypro. She wasn’t going to skip work to stay home and hula hoop. Later on in the day our discussion got me thinking though. What is the barometer for hoop addiction anyway? Could I be a hoop addict? If I was would that be a bad thing? I proceeded to find out.
Psychologist Yun Hoi writes, “‘Positive Addiction’ is a very useful concept. As a psychologist, I find it is beneficial to both those with, and those without, current problems in living. It is especially beneficial, however, to those in any sort of rut.” A rut, eh? I was certainly in a rut when I discovered hooping. The hoop spun me out of that rut and right back into the center of myself and my life again.
He also writes, “We all know what comprises addiction. Addiction is, in common usage, a harmful, socially disapproved and often illegal activity engaged in so as to quickly meet one’s needs without real effort in any long term and constructive relationships or without any effort to develop oneself to be a better person or assist others. Most addictions occur in a relationship chain which is exploitive and harmful to others as well as the end-user. Addictions can be focused on activities as well as substances. The commonly used term ‘addiction’ actually ought, more properly, to be called ‘negative addiction’, as some addictions can be beneficial rather than destructive. ‘Positive Addiction’ is a notion developed by US psychiatrist Dr. Bill Glasser in 1976. He felt that it is possible to become addicted to positive behavior, which develops the character and the body – for instance, running, aerobics, bike-riding.. The list can be added to by you as long as the activity meets seven criteria and doesn’t become negative in that it impacts negatively on your health, work or relationships.”
What are the seven criteria for positive addiction?
1) It is something non-competitive that you choose to do and you can devote approximately forty-five minutes to an hour a day to.
2) It is possible for you to do it easily, in the sense of organizing to do it, and it doesn’t take a great deal of mental effort to do it.
3) You can do it alone (more rarely with others) – but independently of others – not depending on their presence or encouragement to continue.
4) You believe it has some value (physical, mental, or spiritual) for you.
5) You believe that if you persist at it you will improve but this is completely subjective – you need to be the only one who measures that improvement.
6) The activity must be one you can perform without negatively criticizing yourself.
7) It must be undertaken several times a week until you reach “the PA state”.
Glasser called this “PA state” or Positive Addiction state a place that was enjoyable without excessive concentration, a “Zen-like”, “zone”, or “transcendental” state in which you simply and relaxedly do something automatically without effort or concern and that this state energizes you to meet your needs. Could he be referring to some of us refer to as “flow” I wonder?
If something in your life meets these seven criteria, like hooping does in mine, he warns that once a person becomes addicted they may become agitated if they don’t get to do it. I long ago realized that when I don’t take time to hoop in my life I “feel it. I think I’m going to have to say, “My name is Philo, and I am a hoop addict.” Truth is, however, I’m quite pleased about it.
One of the benefits of positive addictions too can be that they are awesome for helping one overcome a negative addiction. Replacing a negative addiction with a positive one can truly help you lead a happier and healthier life. In my life, I’d quit smoking a few months before I discovered myself in the hoop. Is it possible that hooping has been my unknowing substitute for nicotine all these years? If that’s the case I’ll gladly take hooping any and every day. It’s not expensive, I can breathe, I’m in better health and I feel better. And I mean that emotionally too. My feelings are here and I can feel them and hooping helps me live there. It all makes for a much more vibrant and beautiful life and as Kevin Kinchen once said, “The more you meditate, the less you will need to medicate.” I think we can say that is true for hooping as well.
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Philo Hagen is the Co-founder and Managing Editor of Hooping.org. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Guilty…
#6 is important. O <3
Thanks for introducing the concept of Positive Addiction. I have joked that I’m a hoop pusher. Now I know I am.
I have also been accused of being a hoop pusher, but really I don’t mind. I live in Saskatchewan and there are less than 30 hoopers in my city. So really i’m just trying to promote it’s great benefits.
Very timely for me in that I have been thinking a lot lately about what IS it about hooping anyway…..for me 5 and 6 are so crucial. I never feel like I have to judge myself, and given that this is a great community never feel judged.
Would love to share this with classes and hoop community locally, if you don’t mind me quoting and printing, Philo?
Its amusing that someone actually made a comment on that girls status about how it’s bad to enjoy a hoop too much or god will be mad. I’m agnostic myself, so I just dont get the whole ‘anything that you enjoy is a sin’ idea. The hoop is a false idol lol, beware. To me the hoop can be very good for ones mind, body, and spiritual well being if one sees that way. I like to hoop-philosophy stuff, and I think it balances your energy flow…So really quite frankly I think a comment like that is just absurd.
The concept of flow also supports the benefits of positive addiction, with the extra, added benefits of a cardio workout for all-out hooping sessions. The study of flow was initiated at the University of Chicago and then spread throughout the world, and the benefits of this sort of highly focused activity were supported across the board, so I’m surprised God didn’t hear about this.
That Idol stuff is a bit ridiculous. God does not smite people, first of all, he is not vengeful, I don’t care what anyone says, haha. I’ve had direct contact with divine energies and none of them have struck me down for incessant hula hooping, or showing off my skills for that matter. I’m a performer, it’s in my nature to love attention (positive attention, of course), and I am a Leo. God, or the Universe, as I call it, wants me to be myself. I can’t wait for everyone to finally get on board with this new spirituality. When you finally realize that the Universe (aka God, Goddess, All That Is) LOVES you, and doesn’t discriminate, no matter what you do, you will have spiritual sovereignty. It doesn’t matter what words you use, Jesus, God, Him, Her, Goddess, Gaia, Aliens, Divine Beings, Angels, Source, etc, we all really believe the same thing. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is in ALL men, not one man or a group of men, but in ALL men, women and children. We were “made in his image” meaning we are powerful like God is, like Source is, because we are all divine sparks of life force energy, unique unto ourselves, and beautiful.
I’m so with you on that.
That said, you must realize that once you become aware of spiritual, universal laws and principles, and choose to ignore them anyway, you will notice repercussions. Not punishment, but an equal and opposite reaction to your action. What you project is what you reflect.
Wow, I could’ve written this checklist. It completely captures how I feel about hooping now. Thanks so much for sharing! I love finding other people who feel the same way too. Hoopers are happy campers.
I don’t think those people quoting scripture have had the joy of experiencing the near-religious experience that flow can provide for those who believe in higher beings. I would have linked them to articles about the Shakers, Sufis, and other religious sects who use movement as a part of their prayer.
I love you Philo. As Maria Randolph said, perfectly timed.